Health News
- Coventry, Arh At Impasse Over Medicaid; State Says Service Will Not Be Interrupted For 25,000 Affected
Though negotiations between Appalachian Regional Healthcare and Coventry Cares appear to be futile, the state is taking steps to make sure there won't be an interruption in care for the Medicaid recipients who will be affected by the impasse....
- Appalachian Hospital Chain, Facing Loss Of 25,000 Medicaid Patients, Sues Managed-care Firms And State
"Appalachian Regional Healthcare, the largest health care system in Eastern Kentucky, has filed lawsuits against two of the state's Medicaid managed care companies, alleging that the managed care companies had not paid claims promptly," report Valarie...
- State And Companies Were Unprepared For Quick Move To Managed Care, State Auditor Concludes
Kentucky officials and the companies in charge were unprepared for the switch to Medicaid managed care, State Auditor Adam Edelen said Wednesday. He sent the Cabinet for Health and Family Services 10 recommendations to improve the system, which provides...
- More Complaints Lodged About Medicaid Managed Care; Lawmakers Demand Answers
Complaints continue to pile up about the state's new Medicaid managed care plans, which cover about 560,000 Kentuckians. Lawmakers are hearing gripes from providers who say they are not getting paid, and from patients and clinics who say the three...
- Home-health Industry Is The Latest To Complain About Late Payments Since State Switched To Managed-care Medicaid
Kentucky's new Medicaid managed-care system is three months late in making payments to home-health agencies, officials told the House Health and Welfare Committee Thursday. Nurses Registry and Home Health has outstanding claims of $300,000 to $400,000,...
Health News
Republican legislators keep hammering state officials and managed-care companies about Medicaid payment delays
Republican lawmakers reitarated this week that the companies managing Medcaid in Kentucky are still not paying health providers promptly. According to Sen. Joe Bowen, R-Owensboro, in the year since the state moved more than a half a million people to managed care, the amount owed to hospitals has doubled, Beth Musgrave of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. The state switched to managed care to reduce costs in the federal-state program that pays health care costs for the poor and disabled.
According to state Medicaid Commissioner Lawrence Kissner, WellCare and Kentucky Spirit have been cited by the state Department of Insurance for failing to meet their obligation to the state and the hospitals. A third managed care company, Coventry, has not been cited. The two companies, notes Musgrave, have submitted plans of correction to the insurance department.
None of the companies testified at Tuesday's meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Health and Welfare where Bowen and other Republicans voiced their complaints. Despite the payment problems, Kisser said the move to managed care has helped stem rising costs. As of October, he said, Medicaid was $40 million under budget. (Read more)
According to state Medicaid Commissioner Lawrence Kissner, WellCare and Kentucky Spirit have been cited by the state Department of Insurance for failing to meet their obligation to the state and the hospitals. A third managed care company, Coventry, has not been cited. The two companies, notes Musgrave, have submitted plans of correction to the insurance department.
None of the companies testified at Tuesday's meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Health and Welfare where Bowen and other Republicans voiced their complaints. Despite the payment problems, Kisser said the move to managed care has helped stem rising costs. As of October, he said, Medicaid was $40 million under budget. (Read more)
- Coventry, Arh At Impasse Over Medicaid; State Says Service Will Not Be Interrupted For 25,000 Affected
Though negotiations between Appalachian Regional Healthcare and Coventry Cares appear to be futile, the state is taking steps to make sure there won't be an interruption in care for the Medicaid recipients who will be affected by the impasse....
- Appalachian Hospital Chain, Facing Loss Of 25,000 Medicaid Patients, Sues Managed-care Firms And State
"Appalachian Regional Healthcare, the largest health care system in Eastern Kentucky, has filed lawsuits against two of the state's Medicaid managed care companies, alleging that the managed care companies had not paid claims promptly," report Valarie...
- State And Companies Were Unprepared For Quick Move To Managed Care, State Auditor Concludes
Kentucky officials and the companies in charge were unprepared for the switch to Medicaid managed care, State Auditor Adam Edelen said Wednesday. He sent the Cabinet for Health and Family Services 10 recommendations to improve the system, which provides...
- More Complaints Lodged About Medicaid Managed Care; Lawmakers Demand Answers
Complaints continue to pile up about the state's new Medicaid managed care plans, which cover about 560,000 Kentuckians. Lawmakers are hearing gripes from providers who say they are not getting paid, and from patients and clinics who say the three...
- Home-health Industry Is The Latest To Complain About Late Payments Since State Switched To Managed-care Medicaid
Kentucky's new Medicaid managed-care system is three months late in making payments to home-health agencies, officials told the House Health and Welfare Committee Thursday. Nurses Registry and Home Health has outstanding claims of $300,000 to $400,000,...